Microbial inactivation using plasma-activated water obtained by gliding electric discharges
Résumé
Aim: To evaluate the microbial disinfection efficacy of a plasmachemical solu-tion obtained by the activation of water with gliding electric discharges.Methods and Results: Distilled water was activated for 5 min by a nonthermalquenched plasma of the glidarc type operating in humid air and at atmosphericpressure. The plasma-activated water (PAW) was then used to treat planktonicand adherent cells of Staphylococcus epidermidis, Leuconostoc mesenteroides (asmodels of Gram-positive bacteria), Hafnia alvei (a Gram-negative bacteria) andSaccharomyces cerevisiae (as a yeast model). The treatments were less efficienton adherent cells than on planktonic cells in the case of bacteria, but not ofS. cerevisiae. Inactivation was more effective for bacteria than for the yeast.Conclusions: Significant reductions in microbial populations were achieved inall cases, demonstrating the effectiveness of this new approach to treat conta-minated media.Significance and Impact of the Study: PAW is a promising solution withpotential application to the decontamination of equipment and surfaces.